WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 5

What to look for in week five of NFL action.

STILL IN THE MIX: History shows that a losing record at this point in the season does not negate a team’s chances of making the playoffs.

Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 23 teams have rebounded from a losing record after four weeks to qualify for the postseason, including the Denver Broncos last season. Four of those clubs advanced to their Conference Championship Games, including the 2001 New England Patriots (1-3) en route to their Super Bowl XXXVI victory.

Since 1990, teams that started 1-3 or worse and made the playoffs:

YEAR

TEAM

RECORD

ADVANCED TO:

1990

New Orleans

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

1990

Philadelphia

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

1991

NY Jets

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

1992

San Diego

0-4

Divisional Playoffs

1993

Green Bay

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

1993

Houston

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

1995

Detroit

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

1995

Philadelphia

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

1996

Dallas

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

1996

Jacksonville

1-3

Championship Game

1997

NY Giants

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

1998

Buffalo

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

2000

New Orleans

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

2001

New England

1-3

Won Super Bowl XXXVI

2002

Atlanta

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

2002

Tennessee

1-3

Championship Game

2002

NY Jets

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

2002

Pittsburgh

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

2004

Green Bay

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

2005

Chicago

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

2007

San Diego

1-3

Championship Game

2008

Minnesota

1-3

Wild Card Playoffs

2011

Denver

1-3

Divisional Playoffs

-- NFL --

ONE TO GO: Last Sunday, New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES threw for three touchdowns at Green Bay and extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 47, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS for the longest streak in NFL history.

With a touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Brees will surpassUnitas for the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

The quarterbacks to throw one or more touchdown passes in the most consecutive games:

PLAYER

TEAM

DATES

CONSEC. GAMES W/ TD PASS

Drew Brees

New Orleans

10/18/2009-present

47*

Johnny Unitas

Baltimore Colts

12/9/1956-12/4/1960

47

Tom Brady

New England

9/12/2010-present

36*

Brett Favre

Green Bay

11/4/2002-11/29/2004

36

Dan Marino

Miami

11/10/1985-11/22/1987

30

*Active streak

Unitas surpassed the previous mark held by CECIL ISBELL (22 games) on November 30, 1958 and held sole possession of the record for 19,663 days before Brees tied the mark last Sunday. Brees has thrown 114 touchdowns during his streak, 12 more than Unitas (102) had during his streak. During their streaks, Unitas threw a TD pass to seven different players, while Brees has connected with 15 players.

A look at each quarterback’s numbers during their 47-game streaks:

PLAYER

ATT

COMP

YARDS

TDs

INTs

RATING

RECORD

Johnny Unitas

1,298

697

10,645

102

61

87.6

31-16

Drew Brees

1,891

1,302

14,803

114

50

101.2

33-14

Meanwhile in New England, with a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, quarterback TOM BRADY (36) will surpass BRETT FAVRE for the third-most consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

-- NFL --

DOWN TO THE WIRE: Close games have been a staple of the 2012 season as 36 games have been decided by eight points or fewer, tied for the third-most such games through the first four weeks of a season in NFL history. In the past two weeks, there have been 10 games in which the game-winning points were scored in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime.

If 10 games in Week 5 are decided by eight points or fewer, 2012 will feature the most such games through the first five weeks of a season in NFL history.

The most games decided by eight points or fewer in a season’s first four weeks and five weeks:

MOST GAMES DECIDED BY

EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER

MOST GAMES DECIDED BY

EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER

SEASON

THROUGH FOUR WEEKS

SEASON

THROUGH FIVE WEEKS

2011

37

1999

45

1988

37

1988

43

2012

36

2011

42

2010

36

2010

41

1999

35

Two tied

40

-- NFL --

HIGH FIVE: In 2012, teams have combined to score 2,986 points and 327 touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterbacks have recorded 40 individual 300-yard passing games. Teams can add to these totals this week:

With 658 points in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most points of any five-week span in NFL history (3,643 in 2011, Weeks 13-17).

With 70 touchdowns in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most touchdowns through the first five weeks of any NFL season (396 in 2011).

With 11 individual 300-yard passing games in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most 300-yard passing games through the first five weeks (50 in 2011).

-- NFL --

ROOKIE SUCCESS: Last Sunday, rookie quarterbacks ROBERT GRIFFIN III (1,070) of the Redskins and RYAN TANNEHILL (1,046) of the Dolphins joined CAM NEWTON as the only rookie quarterbacks to pass for 1,000 yards in their team’s first four games.

Griffin and Tannehill need 180 and 204 passing yards, respectively, on Sunday to join Newton(1,610 in 2011) as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 1,250 passing yards through a team’s first five games.

The most passing yards by a rookie quarterback through his team’s first five games:

QUARTERBACK

TEAM

YEAR

PASSING YARDS THROUGH FIRST 5 GAMES

Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers

2011

1,610

Sam Bradford

St. Louis Rams

2010

1,159

Chris Weinke

Carolina Panthers

2001

1,130

Peyton Manning

Indianapolis Colts

1998

1,129

Robert Griffin III

Washington Redskins

2012

1,070*

Ryan Tannehill

Miami Dolphins

2012

1,046*

* Through four games

Following a bye week, Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK (846) will play his fourth game on Sunday and can join Griffin, Newton and Tannehill as the only rookie quarterbacks to pass for 1,000 yards in their team’s first four games.

-- NFL --

10,000 CLUB: Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD (9,860) needs 140 receiving yards on Thursday Night Football to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. Fitzgerald will be 29 years, 34 days old on Thursday night and can become the second youngest to reach 10,000 career receiving yards and only the second player to reach the milestone before turning 30.

Houston wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON (9,924) needs 76 receiving yards on Monday Night Football to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. Johnson will be 31 years, 89 days old on Monday night and could join the list.

The youngest players to reach 10,000 career receiving yards:

PLAYER

TEAM(S)

AGE

YEARS

DAYS

Randy Moss

Minnesota, Oakland

28

314

Jerry Rice

San Francisco

30

54

Torry Holt

St. Louis

30

132

Isaac Bruce

St. Louis

30

343

Steve Largent

Seattle

31

83

Larry Fitzgerald*

Arizona

29

34

Andre Johnson**

Houston

31

89

* Needs 140 rec. yards

** Needs 76 rec. yards

-- NFL --

CATCHING ON: With eight catches this Sunday against Miami, wide receiver A.J. GREEN will become the eighth player – and fourth wide receiver – in NFL history to reach 100 career receptions in 20 or fewer games, tying for the third-fastest on the all-time list. In his first 19 career games, Green has 92 receptions.

The fewest games to reach 100 receptions in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM

NO. OF GAMES

WR Anquan Boldin

Arizona

16

RB Reggie Bush

New Orleans

19

WR Terry Glenn

New England

20

WR Eddie Royal

Denver

20

TE Keith Jackson

Philadelphia

20

TE Jeremy Shockey

New York Giants

20

TE Kellen Winslow

Cleveland

20

WR A.J. Green

Cincinnati

19*

* 92 career receptions

-- NFL --

SEVENTH HEAVEN: There have been seven punt-return touchdowns through Week 4, the second most through four weeks since 1970 (eight in 1998). The seven PR-TDs through Week 4 are already tied for the second most through Week 5 since 1970 (eight in 1998; seven in 1996 and 2002).

Intro: The Colts put together their most dominant performance of the season on Monday night, in a resounding 41-10 victory over the Jets. Here were live in-game updates from the Colts (6-6) taking on the Jets (3-9) in Week 14.

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Intro: Each week, we will take a look at 10 players that will have a big impact in the game. Who are the "Tantalizing Ten" when the Colts (6-6) oppose Houston (6-6) in a pretty big Week 14 contest at Lucas Oil Stadium?